Maara: Beatport Next Artist Stories 2026

Maara treats record digging like historical research. Every old track points back to a time and place. She wants to add something worthwhile to that archive.

That instinct did not begin in a club. The Montréal-born producer, DJ and vocalist grew up on Nelly and Eminem, writing lyrics and making beats. Back in Montréal, underground raves pulled her towards dance music and the freedom of club production.

Production came first. At a New Year’s party, she heard Priori play one of her tracks. He loved it and wanted to release it. That exchange became her 2021 debut EP, Ultimate Reward, on Canadian imprint NAFF.

Now part of the Beatport Next Class of 2026, Maara no longer worries about pinning down her sound. Her sets run through techno, electro, UK club, prog and trance, held together by her small production details.

She pushed that range further on Ultra Villain, her second album for NAFF. Pulling from trip-hop, IDM, alt-R&B and the vocal music she loved before club production, the record took her somewhere riskier and more personal. Repeating herself would have been easier. Maara was not interested. The point is to take risks and leave something good behind.

Watch Maara tell her story in our latest Beatport Next Artist Stories mini-doc.